The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1887-09-24
An African Queen.

The position Of women In Africa is as
degraded as in most other savage lands,
and life is round of hard, unrequited toll
to the weaker sex in nearly all parts of the
continent Here and there, however, is a
native queen who has absolute influence
over her people and who surrounds herself
with as much pomp and circumstance as
her position permits. Mr.. COillard, the
French Protestant missionary who saved the
life of Serpa Pinto during that travellers
trip across the continent, has sent home a
few facts about picturesque female who
holds sway over the savage Barotse on the
upper Zambesi.
One day recently Queen Mokqae went on
an excursion to the tombs of her fathers.
She was expected to return to her chief
town two or three days later, and on the
appointed day everybody was alert to hear
the first s)und announcing the approach of
the royal party. Suddenly the measured
beat of drums was family heard. "She is
coming. The queen is coming the
cry went through the town, and several
thousand meu, women and children lined
the bank of the broad Zambesi and gazed
down the watery expanse. The sound of
drums grew lq4deP and soon the royal
barge and attending feet game into view.
Under pavilion made Of gaudily colored
native mats sat the queen in full view of
her subjects Forty paddlers swiftly pro-
PEELED her great canoe up the stream. As
she came opposite the town the women and
girls, who were ranged in line on shore, be-
gan to intone a chant, which struck Mr..
Coillard as full of weird beauty 1t recited
the praises ofQueen Mokqae, At last the
PROV of the queens barge struck the shore,
and the crowds Of men who lined the way
from the rivers edge to the queens man
sion instantly dropped on their knee and
began to clap their hands, keeping time to
the beat of the drums.
The queen stepped cut of her barge
She was in gala dress for the occasion. Over
her shoulders she wore brightly colored
Indian robe Several strings of beads and
ornaments of ivory encircled her neck, and
large white pearls were arranged with care
10 her hair She saluted the white man
with wave of her hand, but appeared to
pay no attention to her subjects. A pro-
cession was instantly formed with the native
band at its head. The musicians wore sus-
pended from their necks the instruments
known as serimbas, which are long gourds,
on which are strung cords of different
lengths which gave variety of sounds
when struck with drumsticks. As the
procession started the musicians struck up,
and did not cease playing until the queen
withdrew into her apartments. Behind
the band walked the queen, and at consid-
cradle distance behind her the royal suite
and the oarsmen of her feet. As they
passed along the populace fell into line, and
SO the long procession marched until they
reached the queens abode.
Then the master of ceremonies spread on
the ground lions skin, on which the
queen took her stand. The royal suite
approached within about hundred feet,
ranged themselves in line before the queen,
lifted their hands toward the sky, crying
aLoche |! Loche |" and then prostrated them
selves in the dust. Next, the boatmen
went through the same ceremony, and then
the populace, in detachments, paid their
respects to their ruler in the same manner /;
after them the visitors in the village, and
finally Mr.. Coilard's own boatmen. Then
the queen disappeared within her house,
and soon after, surrounded by her young
women, gave an audience to the white
man.
She had wheezy accordion, over whose